EMS
Frye Island Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
Welcome: The Frye Island EMS team is here and ready to respond to a wide variety of 911 emergency calls! Over the past few years, we have responded to an average of 30-40 the calls for service raging from general medical illnesses, traumatic injuries, cardiac calls and water rescues. Statistics show our average patient’s age is 42. Most of our members, work for their local town departments and are cross-trained in both EMS and fire.
How to reach us in the time of an emergency: Please call 911 if you or a family member are experiencing a medical crisis even if you are not sure it is serious enough to need an ambulance. Please do not drive to the fire station, as the crew maybe out on the road. The 911 dispatcher will ask you questions and provide EMD (emergency medical dispatching) with instructions on how to care for the patient, if they are needed, and stay on the line with you until responders arrive. It is important to give them the correct address that you are located at, so please use your E911 Address. This is the number we identify you by and is on the blue E911 sign on the road in front of your house. Please do not give them your lot number as your address.
Level of Care: Frye Island EMS is licensed through Maine EMS at a basic responder level (BLS) and works with Raymond Fire Rescue Department to provide advanced life support (ALS) services and transport of patients to local hospitals. Both towns are simultaneously dispatched for both fire and EMS calls by Cumberland County Dispatch. EMS members must have an active EMS license with requirements of continuing education hours to renew their license every three years.
Island Coverage: We have a crew of twelve members, ranging from basic EMT’s to paramedics whom provide coverage. We have one EMS provider at the station on duty day and night as the residents want EMS coverage on the island 24/7 during low and high seasons. We use volunteer ambulance drivers from the island to help the EMS provider with lifting and transporting of the patient. Members of the volunteer Frye Island Fire Department, assist us on calls when they are available. We also have a couple of EMTs that live on the island who are part of our crew and respond when available and not on the schedule. We run 12 hour shifts that go from 8 AM to 8 PM for days and 8 PM to 8 AM for the night shift.
Patient Transfer off Island: On emergency calls the EMT, once on the scene, coordinates with Cumberland County Dispatch and Raymond Rescue to decide where the transfer of the patient is to happen. We try to use the quickest route to get our patients to ALS care if needed which may mean Raymond Rescue comes direct to the scene via the ferry if the EMT is busy doing care or FI Rescue may transport to the ferry landing on FI or across the ferry to Raymond if the situation warrants it.
If the 911 call happens at night, after the ferry has shut down for the day, dispatch contacts the ferry captain that is on call to provide transport across the lake.
Lifeflight (Maine’s helicopter medical transport) may be called to transport the patient if they have a serious medical issue. Lifeflight can land on the ball field or golf course if necessary.
Local Hospitals: Patients can choose from these hospitals: Maine Medical Center which is a Level 1 trauma center, has a cardiac cath lab, stroke center and neonatal unit: Mercy Hospital, also in Portland, which provides general ER and hospital services or Bridgton Hospital which is a nice small community hospital.
Where we are: We have a Braun ambulance that is housed at the Fire Station by the golf course and set up with the basic equipment. The station has a full kitchen, office with a computer, along with a meeting room that doubles as the EMS bedroom. Due to the size of the island and population, we are not a busy service so EMS folks and drivers do have down time to study or enjoy the island.
Other services that we provide: We are in the process of applying to become a “Heart Safe Community” which acknowledges the Town for its efforts to provide ambulance services, provide AED’s for the general public use and help educate and train residents with CPR/AED classes and health tips. Watch for the schedule for upcoming classes in the FINS.
If you or a family member, have a health issue, contact us to have a VIAL of LIFE completed. The Vial of Life holds your medical information, such as diseases or illnesses and medications, so that if you are not able to speak at the time you need EMS, the Vial gives us your pertinent medical information so we can best treat you.
Blood pressure clinics: The EMT on duty will be at the Café from 10am to 11 am on Mon., Wed., and Fridays during the high season to provide free blood pressure clinics and wellbeing checks. Feel free to stop by and say hi!
An AED has been moved: The AED (automatic external defibrillator) that has been kept upstairs at the old Town Office has been moved! It is now in a mounted white AED case located by the covered bulletin boards outside the entrance of the Town Office. It was moved to provide better accessibility to the AED for the general public to use in an emergency. Besides in the ambulance, we also have AED’s at the Rec Center, golf course and in the Sheriff’s cruiser for early access if needed. AED’s can be used by the general public if someone is experiencing a cardiac arrest.
Volunteering: If you are interested in becoming a driver for the rescue, call or stop by the station for more information!
Questions or Concerns: Please feel free to call or email me with any questions or concerns that you might have about the island EMS services.
Cathy Gosselin, Frye Island EMS Director, 207.756.2374. Cathy.gosselin@fyreislandtown.org
LOCAL URGENT CARE & HOSPITALS
(207) 655-6181 Raymond RediCare (Raymond, ME)
(207) 400-8600 Mercy Primary Care (Windham, ME)
(207) 871-0111 Maine Medical Center (Portland, ME)
(207) 879-3000 Mercy Hospital (Portland, ME)
(207) 647-6000 Bridgton Hospital (Bridgton, ME)